The Trembling Storm Book 1: Brewing
by swiftling
Summary: AU. The four chosen to go to the sun-drown place failed to arrive on time. The Clans have begun the Great Journey, but without them to follow in their pawsteps; nothing remains – their home; gone. Their family; gone. Their lives; changed forever. Is there any hope for them, or is it all for nothing? Rated T.
1. Prologue

**Hello! I am Swift, and welcome to my newest project – a completely different take on the second series of Warriors –** ** _The New Prophecy._**

 **All canon aside, this story takes place at the end of** ** _Moonrise_** **and the beginning of** ** _Dawn._** **Basically, the Four that were requested on the sun-drown place journey, as well as Stormfur and Squirrelpaw (notice the paw there?) are just coming back to the Clans.**

 **Please enjoy this prologue of my first ever AU!**

 **–Swift**

* * *

 ** _Prologue:_**

 _Dark clouds wained high above their_ heads as they trekked along the mountainside. The scent of water – from both the waterfall that was now long behind them to the rain sprinkling on their fur – was pungent in the air. It seemed to trail down their pelts slowly, as if it were dreading falling off and onto the ground, where it would be rendered useless. The sounds that rang through the air were the sweeping of tails, mutters and complaints, and of rocks scattering and shifting beneath the weight of their paws.

"I'm sick of this," complained a dark ginger she-cat. Her green eyes were bright against the dark shadow that fell over her as they entered an overpass.

"My paws are sorer than sore," muttered a dark gray tom. His pelt was such a shade of dark gray that it nearly looked black; it blended in well with almost everything. "Can we rest?"

"We're almost there, Crowpaw..." murmured a light gray tabby she-cat. She brushed against him, to which the said apprentice mewed something incoherent in response.

"Is Feathertail right?" the second dark gray tom asked. He walked side-by-side with a dark brown tabby tom, his yellow eyes trained on the stones and cracks ahead. "Are we close, Brambleclaw?"

The dark brown tabby flicked his ears, clearly not having been paying attention until this point. His dark amber eyes were glistening in the silver sheen of the rocks as moonlight reflected off of them. He opened his jaws, scenting the air for a moment before shutting them again and saying nothing. His only indication of confirmation on the matter was a single nod – a brisk, quick-enough-to-miss-if-you-blinked nod.

"We haven't hunted in days," the dark ginger she-cat pointed out matter-of-factly. Crowpaw and Feathertail's air shifted as they both turned and glared at her for a moment before facing the front again.

"That's because there's nothing _to_ hunt for up here, Squirrelpaw." Brambleclaw growled, lashing his tail. Squirrelpaw opened her jaws to respond in the same annoyance, but with the sharp warning of, "Don't make him upset now," from Tawnypelt, she simply closed her muzzle and said nothing.

They traveled on in silence for quite some time, no one wanting to say something that might ruffle someone else's fur. All five pairs of eyes were trained on the stones and gray clouds ahead, the pelts of their companions in front of them; all five hearts yearned for the hope that after each bend, turn, or leap, that their home would be there instead of the same false image, over and over again.

Suddenly, Squirrelpaw's excited yowl broke through the air: "I can see it! I can see _home_!"

Brambleclaw felt Squirrelpaw's pelt brush against his for a moment as she bounded forward, towards the end of the ledge that jutted out from the rest of the mountain. "Squirrelpaw!" he shouted, knowing that it would be useless to try and reprimand her, yet compelled to do so. "Get away from the ledge! It's not –"

Before he could finish, the stone vanished from under Squirrelpaw. A scream of horror erupted from her lungs as she scrambled to reach the end of the stone that was still attached to the mountain. Claws hit stone as Squirrelpaw latched onto the crumbling gray surface with all of her might, her green eyes wide in fear.

"Stormfur! Brambleclaw!" she cried, clawing and gasping as her hold began to weaken. "Anyone, please! _Help me!_ "

"Don't just stand there!" Crowpaw snarled, shoving both Brambleclaw and Stormfur roughly to get them out of their daze. "Get Squirrelpaw off that ledge before it – _her_ – are no longer there!"

The two toms looked at one another for a moment before nodding in silent agreement. With fear bolting through him, Brambleclaw raced forward with Stormfur on his heels. His heart pounded loudly in his chest, the wind rushing through his ears as he teetered lightly on the edges of the crumbling stone. He moved quickly but slowly, not wanting to misplace a paw in any way; if he did, he'd end up in the same state as Squirrelpaw – or worse.

"Hurry!" Squirrelpaw growled in fear, her pelt bristling at the way her claws were slacking in their hold and she was beginning to slide farther and farther away from Brambleclaw.

The dark tabby tom launched himself forward, knowing that if he wasted a second longer, Squirrelpaw would no longer be there; feeling Stormfur's teeth lock onto his tail-tip, he quickly took Squirrelpaw's scruff in his jaws. As he began to pull the dark ginger apprentice upward, a large crack could be heard from behind him; he felt Stormfur's teeth tugging hard on his tail, and just as the ledge finally crumbled and descended downward towards the ground, Brambleclaw felt himself be squashed by Squirrelpaw's body being tossed on top of his.

The scrambling of rocks sounded in his ears as the others came rocketing towards them. Brambleclaw heaved himself to his paws and was beginning to nudge Squirrelpaw to hers when Tawnypelt nearly bowled him over, relief clear in her green eyes.

"Are you completely mouse-brained?!" she meowed, her eyes wide. She stepped away from him, rubbing her muzzle along his side as she murmured, "Thank StarClan you're all safe." A few tail-lengths away, Brambleclaw could hear Feathertail thanking their ancestors for the same thing as she pressed against Stormfur.

Turning his attention away from the others, Brambleclaw saw that Squirrelpaw was right; home was just behind this next overpass! The pine trees from ShadowClan's territory were enough to make his heart swell with joy.

"Come on!" he meowed, jerking his head in the direction of their destination. "Home's just this way – behind this overpass!" He watched as his companions scrambled to their paws and nodded, their eyes bright with relief and excitement. With a skip in their step, the six Clanners raced around the bends and weaves, over the rocks and wide expanses of nothing but abyss, and finally stormed down the side of the mountain in order to place their paws on grass for the first time since their journey back home.

But as they gazed farther and traveled longer, they realized that home was not what greeted them.

WindClan's wrecked moor greeted them first; nearly all of the lush grass that had once flourished here was reduced to dirt and the scattering of Monsters around the area. Fear clenched around Brambleclaw's heart as he and the others passed through each territory, taking in how horrible they had been treated. ShadowClan's pines were there, yes, but only a scrap few; RiverClan's stream was still flowing, but was now a murky black color. Brambleclaw could only imagine what ThunderClan's territory was like.

As they all pushed through the foliage of ThunderClan's camp, they were greeted with a shock so large it forced Squirrelpaw to race forward and bury her muzzle in the scruff of another cat – this one dead.

They were all dead; every one of them, gone – their bodies lay battered and tossed in various parts of the clearing.

"No..." Squirrelpaw's anguished cry rang out in the entire forest. "Dustpelt, no!" She nudged the dark brown body in front of her weakly, as if she had no more strength.

"You're alive!" came a raspy voice from a cluster of bushes at the far end of the clearing. A pure white she-cat, her pelt flecked all over with gray, pushed herself out into the open; a few others followed her lead, coming out to examine the newcomers. All of their eyes grew wide at the sight of them; on trembling paws and weak legs, each one of them hurried forward to greet Brambleclaw and the others.

"Where's everyone else?" Feathertail asked lightly. The silence that followed her question was enough to make the silver tabby flatten her ears and scoot closer to Stormfur, who wrapped his tail around her and pressed his muzzle to her ear in a comforting gesture.

"They're gone," Frostfur, the pure white she-cat meowed. Her blue eyes were dull with age and exhaustion.

"What do you mean, gone?" Squirrelpaw demanded; her green eyes were tired with grief as she meowed harshly, "What do you mean, _gone?!_ "

"Calm down, Squirrelpaw," Brambleclaw soothed, taking a step forward to go and comfort her. The dark ginger apprentice simply snarled at his paws, her pelt bristling at the order.

"Left is the more proper term." Speckletail stated grimly, adding to Frostfur's claim. "The four Clans – everyone, except for the elders – have fled the forest in search of a new home."

Silence passed over them again; hurt slammed over Brambleclaw like a wave. His home; gone... his family; gone... his life; what good was it now that all four Clans had moved on without them?

He felt Tawnypelt brush against him and rest her muzzle on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Brambleclaw," she murmured, sensing his despair. "We'll find everyone; have faith in us and in StarClan... I promise we'll make it out of here alive."

Hope was what got them here – faith was what they needed more than ever now.

* * *

 **Quite a long prologue; but I actually really like it. :D**

 **Review?**

 **–Swift**


	2. Allegiances

**Here are the Allegiances!**

 **–Swift**

* * *

ALLEGIANCES

 **THUNDERCLAN**

Leader: Firestar – ginger tom, green eyes (Sandstorm's mate; father of Leafpaw and Squirrelpaw)

Deputy: Graystripe – long-furred gray tom, yellow eyes

Medicine Cat: Cinderpelt – dark gray she-cat, blue eyes _(Leafpaw)_

Warriors:

Mousefur – wiry brown she-cat, green eyes _(Spiderpaw)_

Sandstorm – pale ginger she-cat, green eyes

Cloudtail – long-haired white tom, blue eyes (Brightheart's mate; father of Whitepaw)

Brackenfur – golden brown tabby tom, green eyes _(Whitepaw)_

Thornclaw – golden brown tabby tom, amber eyes _(Shrewpaw)_

Brightheart – white she-cat with ginger patches, green eyes

Ashfur – pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes

Rainwhisker – dark gray tom, blue eyes

Sootfur – light gray tom, amber eyes

Sorreltail – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, amber eyes

Apprentices:

Leafpaw – light brown tabby she-cat with white paws, amber eyes; medicine cat apprentice

Spiderpaw – long-legged black tom with brown underbelly, amber eyes

Shrewpaw – small dark brown, amber eyes

Whitepaw – pure white she-cat, green eyes

Queens:

Ferncloud – pale gray she-cat (with darker flecks), green eyes (mother to Dustpelt's kits: Larchkit – pale gray she-cat, amber eyes; Birchkit – light brown tabby tom, amber eyes; and Hollykit – mottled brown she-cat, green eyes)

Goldenflower – pale golden she-cat, green eyes; the oldest nursery queen

* * *

 **SHADOWCLAN**

Leader: Blackstar – white tom with black paws, amber eyes

Deputy: Russetfur – dark ginger she-cat, green eyes

Medicine Cat: Littlecloud – very small tabby tom

Warriors:

Oakfur – small brown tom, amber eyes _(Smokepaw)_

Cedarheart – dark gray tom, blue eyes

Rowanclaw – dark ginger tom, green eyes _(Talonpaw)_

Nightwing – black she-cat, amber eyes

Apprentices:

Smokepaw – very dark gray tom, blue eyes

Talonpaw – mottled brown tom, amber eyes

Queens:

Tallpoppy – long-legged light brown tabby she-cat, amber eyes

Elders:

Runningnose – small gray-and-white tom, amber eyes; former medicine cat

Boulder – skinny gray tom, amber eyes

* * *

 **RIVERCLAN**

Leader: Leopardstar – unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat, amber eyes

Deputy: Mistyfoot – blue-gray she-cat, blue eyes

Medicine Cat: Mothwing – dappled golden tabby she-cat, amber eyes

Warriors:

Blackclaw – smoky black tom, amber eyes _(Volepaw)_

Heavystep – thickset tabby tom _(Stonepaw)_

Hawkfrost – dark brown tabby tom with white underbelly, ice-blue eyes

Swallowtail – dark brown tabby she-cat, green eyes _(Splashpaw)_

Apprentices:

Volepaw – black tom, amber eyes

Stonepaw – pale gray she-cat, blue eyes

Splashpaw – gray-and-white she-cat, yellow eyes

Queens:

Mosspelt – tortoiseshell she-cat, amber eyes

Dawnflower – pale gray she-cat, green eyes

Elders:

Shadepelt – very dark gray she-cat, amber eyes

Loudbelly – dark brown tom

* * *

 **WINDCLAN**

Leader: Tallstar – elderly black-and-white tom with long tail, amber eyes

Deputy: Mudclaw – mottled dark brown tom, amber eyes

Medicine Cat: Barkface – short-tailed brown tom, blue eyes

Warriors:

Tornear – tabby tom, green eyes

Webfoot – dark gray tabby tom _(Weaselpaw)_

Onewhisker – light brown tabby tom (Whitetail's mate; father of Heatherkit)

Robinwing – light brown she-cat, blue eyes _(Thistlepaw)_

Apprentices:

Weaselpaw – ginger-and-white tom, amber eyes

Thistlepaw – spike-furred mottled brown tom, blue eyes

Queens:

Ashfoot – pale gray she-cat, amber eyes (mother of Crowpaw)

Whitetail – white she-cat, amber eyes (mother of Onewhisker's kit: Heatherkit – light brown tabby she-cat, blue eyes)

Elders:

Morningflower – tortoiseshell she-cat, blue eyes

Oatwhisker – creamy brown tabby tom, amber eyes

* * *

CATS OUTSIDE THE CLANS:

Brambleclaw – dark brown tabby tom, amber eyes; ThunderClan

Squirrelpaw – dark ginger she-cat, green eyes; ThunderClan

Crowpaw – dark gray, almost black tom, blue eyes; WindClan

Feathertail – light gray tabby she-cat, blue eyes; RiverClan

Stormfur – dark gray tom, amber eyes; RiverClan


	3. Chapter One

**Apologies for this chapter taking forever to come out – high school has been kind of hectic and I haven't had a lot of time to write.**

 **I know that in the Warriors Wiki, it says that Mudfur died way before the Clans even went on the journey. As this is an AU, that doesn't happen; he dies shortly after they leave.**

 **I also know that it says that Loudbelly, Frostfur, Speckletail, and Shadepelt stay behind for the journey. I've made it so that Loudbelly and Shadepelt accompany the Clans on the journey while Frostfur and Speckletail stay behind.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1:**

 _Brambleclaw_

 _The sun was just rising over_ the vacant treeline when Brambleclaw pushed himself out into the clearing. From within the small hazel bush where they had slept the night before, the snores of Crowpaw and Squirrelpaw could be heard softly through the leaves. Storm clouds gathered slowly in the sky, darkening the tint of his already dark brown paws.

At the corner of his eye, he spotted Speckletail beginning to gnaw on a small shrew. The piece was pitiful – even from his distance, Brambleclaw could tell that there was barely any meat on it. He sauntered towards the elder, taking a seat beside her as he asked, "There isn't any prey?"

"Does it look like there's any prey?" Speckletail hissed, turning her sharp amber eyes on him. "Of course there isn't, Brambleclaw; they've all gone back to their nests."

"Either that," Stormfur added hastily, coming to stand at Speckletail's other side, "or they've already been killed."

Brambleclaw stared hard at the dark gray warrior as Speckletail's eyes drifted to the center of the clearing, where only two bodies lay. _Dustpelt and Mudfur..._ he realized, a pang of grief stabbing his heart. Dustpelt had left behind his mate, Ferncloud, as well as their kits; Spiderpaw, Shrewpaw, Birchkit, Larchkit, and Hollykit. Mudfur had left his apprentice, Mothwing (who wasn't so early in her training that she needed assistance, yet not so experienced that she could do everything on her own, either) to go on the journey to wherever StarClan promised them.

"How did he die?" Squirrelpaw's meow sounded behind Brambleclaw; her smaller stature came into his vision as she faced Speckletail clearly. "Dustpelt, I mean. How did he die?"

"Squirrelpaw, I don't think–" Stormfur started, but the apprentice cut him off.

"I want to know," she meowed, her dark green eyes flashing with determination. "I _deserve_ to know, Stormfur."

Brambleclaw realized that she was right; Dustpelt had been her mentor, and while the two often butted heads over their clashing personalities, they were close. Losing someone close in their most vulnerable time would be hard for any cat; for that cat to be Squirrelpaw, a cat only a few moons into her training, was sure to be heartbreaking.

Stormfur backed off as Speckletail sighed, looking solemnly at the apprentice. "He died by saving Firestar from a falling tree being cut from a Monster," she rasped, rising wearily to her aged paws and staring at Squirrelpaw. "He didn't die in vain; he died nobly, Squirrelpaw... That's all that matters."

Squirrelpaw nodded, seeming pleased at the answer Speckletail gave her.

"Shouldn't we bury them?" Stormfur asked, twitching his ears. "They'll stink up this place if we don't – plus, they've already been given the proper vigil..."

"They need a proper burial, too." Brambleclaw added, nodding in agreement.

"I've suggested it to Frostfur," Speckletail retorted, lashing her tail. "and we've both agreed that we're too old to carry them both beyond the camp entrance." the old tabby let out a purr of amusement at her own joke, warming the air around her with humor.

"Let us bury them, then." Feathertail murmured, coming to a stop beside Squirrelpaw. Crowpaw appeared on Stormfur's other side, and Tawnypelt's fur brushed Brambleclaw's as she seemed to materialize at his side. "You and Frostfur can tag along, and we can bury them."

"They deserve it," Brambleclaw meowed softly, casting a sad look at Dustpelt's body, "after everything they've done for us and their Clans... they deserve to be laid to rest in a proper way." Soft murmurs bubbled up at his words, allowing him to know that everyone seemed to be on board.

At Speckletail's approving nod, Brambleclaw bounded away to stand beside Mudfur's and Dustpelt's bodies. As he gazed upon them, sadness washed over his fur like a giant wave and pain stung his heart; these cats had so much to live for! Dustpelt was leaving behind a family; Mudfur was an old cat, yes, but he was still leaving behind an apprentice. He couldn't imagine how Ferncloud and Mothwing must be feeling right now.

The thought propelled him to look to his sister; Tawnypelt was seating beside Speckletail, grooming one of her paws and talking softly with the old she-cat. Grumbles could be heard just a few tail-lengths away, where Crowpaw was beginning to complain of taking forever. Stormfur shushed him with a hard look and a lash of his tail as Brambleclaw glanced their way.

"Are we ready?" Frostfur's soft mew sounded beside him, causing Brambleclaw to break his focus and to turn his attention to her. The white elder was barely able to walk, her bones nearly down to brittle from how aged she was. Squirrelpaw and Feathertail flanked her on each side, their muscles tense and eyes level on Frostfur; they seemed to be preparing themselves to catch her if she stumbled over her paws.

Brambleclaw nodded, and with a flick of his tail, Crowpaw and Stormfur were rising to their paws and padding over to him. Within a few moments of tugging, the two had lifted Dustpelt's body onto Brambleclaw's back; not long after, Stormfur was supporting Mudfur on his own. Squirrelpaw had moved up beside Brambleclaw on his other side, sharing the weight of Dustpelt between them; the dark tabby tom silently thanked StarClan for her aid.

With a stride so proud it was almost uncanny, Brambleclaw set his paws on a path of life rather than death.

* * *

Squirrelpaw never realized how long the trail to the burial site was until she was scrambling on her paws up the slope. Brambleclaw huffed alongside her, his ears flat to his head in determination. That was one thing Squirrelpaw admired the dark tabby for; being fearless and determined no matter what came his way.

The brink of exhaustion weighed heavy in her mind and on her paws. Each of those things threatened to crumble on top of her like a deadweight, but with Brambleclaw's sharp tone in one ear and Feathertail's soft encouragement in the other, Squirrelpaw knew she had a little bit of dignity to not let them down. They'd gotten this far; what good would she do to slow them down by backing out?

"We're nearly there," Frostfur meowed from behind her. The elder had been so quiet this entire time that Squirrelpaw forget she was even there.

"Just past this tree line, Brambleclaw," Speckletail grunted from where she was standing beside Crowpaw towards the back of the group. Tawnypelt and Feathertail traveled at both ends, either behind Squirrelpaw or behind Stormfur, clearly eager to take the job of carrying the two bodies the rest of the way, but didn't voice it out loud.

 _Better if they don't carry either Dustpelt or Mudfur,_ Squirrelpaw thought as she felt Brambleclaw shift his body next to her, allowing more of Dustpelt's weight to climb onto his shoulders instead of hers. _Tawnypelt used to be ThunderClan, yes, but she's ShadowClan now; and StarClan only knows what Feathertail would do if she had to carry all of Mudfur's weight on her – she'd nearly crumbled like a leaf back at camp, even with Stormfur's help!_

A twing of hurt pierced her heart like a claw; that ThunderClan camp _used_ to be her home. It wasn't now; all it had come to was a heap of land, torn up by Monsters. Her family had left this place, as did her entire Clan; she could only hope that they would follow the same trail.

 _I hope soon,_ Squirrlpaw thought worriedly, her tail lashing from side to side in angst. _Otherwise, we might end up like Dustpelt and Mudfur!_

They continued to trek for what felt like an eternity. By the time Speckletail murmured that they had reached their destination, Squirrelpaw's paws felt like mud and her body ached; she was grateful for the way her muscles stopped being tense as she settled Dustpelt's body down on the dead grass, right next to Mudfur's.

"Come on," Brambleclaw murmured; his voice was barely heard by the others, but they knew what he wanted. Settling into groups of two, the Clanners began to dig graves for their fallen Clanmates; Frostfur and Speckletail sat off to the side, watching them.

No words were exchanged as Brambleclaw, Squirrelpaw, Feathertail, and Stormfur settled both Dustpelt and Mudfur into their respectful graves. As they began to cover their bodies with dirt, sealing them down in the ground forever, Squirrelpaw couldn't help but reflect on her memories of Dustpelt. The ragged tom and her had always butted heads, yes, but he was the best mentor Squirrelpaw had ever had. She knew that no matter who her new mentor was - be it Graystripe, the Clan deputy or some other warrior - they would never live up to what Dustpelt was to her and to ThunderClan as a whole.

* * *

 **Well, this managed to come out at a decent word length. Apologies, again, for not getting this out sooner.**

 **Happy...late Halloween, everyone!**

 **See you next update!**

 **-Swift**


	4. Chapter Two

**Here is chapter two! Enjoy!**

 **Thank you all for the lovely comments ~ I strive to make this story to the best of my ability and I'm so happy with the outcome it's having. :D**

 **–Swift**

* * *

Chapter Two:

 _ **Leafpaw**_

 _Sunsets were lonely without Squirrelpaw._

Any time of day was lonely without her, really. Mornings were a blur without Squirrelpaw's constant trouble-making; afternoons dragged by without Squirrelpaw's company; night-time was cold and dark without the dark ginger apprentice's pelt pressed against her side, comforting and warm. Squirrelpaw was what made Leafpaw whole; and without her here, and instead back at their old home, Leafpaw wondered if her sister's comfort would ever return to her.

"Are you thinking again?"

The dark tabby apprentice's pelt ruffled at the sound of a voice from beside her. Turning, she saw her mother, Sandstorm, and her mentor, Cinderpelt, looking down at her with concern in their eyes. Leafpaw nodded hastily, knowing that if she were to express her feelings now when her father had enough to deal with, it would surely distract him. _My emotions mean nothing right now._ Forcing back a cry of anger, she turned her eyes to the Clan, where her father was delivering news about their motives for the coming days.

"We can't wait for them," Firestar suddenly rumbled, his voice grim. "We have to move; otherwise, we might not be able to see the sun rise within two days time."

"Why not?" Leafpaw demanded immediately, leaping to her paws. Her pelt bristled in anger and her eyes narrowed to slits as she growled, "Why can't we wait?" Around her, the Clan had separated their attention from Firestar to her, a endless assort of amber, yellow, blue, and green eyes staring her down.

"There's no time," Firestar urged, his eyes flashing with authority. "We've wasted enough time here, Leafpaw. The other Clans are getting impatient."

"They trekked all the way from the sun-drown place and back!" Leafpaw argued. "The least we can do is wait a little longer for –"

"Leafpaw," Sandstorm tried to interject, but Leafpaw cut her off before she could say another word.

"Leafbare won't be here for another three moons... We could just wait until frost starts to cover the ground and then –"

"Enough, Leafpaw," Cinderpelt, her mentor, hissed in her ear. "You've said your two cents. Leave it."

"You promised we'd stay here until they returned to us." Leafpaw growled, feeling anger rise in her chest, overriding the hurt that rested there. "You _promised_!"

"I know I did," Firestar's voice cracked as he said the words, and Leafpaw regretted ever mentioning it. "But as ThunderClan's leader, I have to do what's best for the Clan."

"You have to do what's best for the Clan," Leafpaw echoed grimly. She pulled away from Sandstorm and Cinderpelt, hissing with her ears flat to her head. "But what about our _family_?"

"Leafpaw..." Sandstorm murmured, taking a step towards her daughter. "You know it's not –"

But she was already gone, rushing out of camp before any cat could see her tears.

* * *

She scented them before she even saw them. She knew of the air that surrounded them – one of worry, sadness, and regret.

"Leafpaw?" Sandstorm's voice was tentative as she approached the medicine cat apprentice. "Can we talk?"

Leafpaw growled lowly, lashing her tail. "I guess," she grumbled, holding back a cry of anger. _Just leave me alone! I don't want your company – I want Squirrelpaw's!_

"What's gotten into you?" Sandstorm questioned. The pale ginger she-cat brushed against her daughter as she settled on the grass. "You've been acting so...outspoken lately."

"It's not like you," Firestar added, coming up on Leafpaw's other side. "We know you miss your sister – we miss her just as much as you do."

"Then why can't you wait for them?" Leafpaw snarled, flattening her ears, "For _her_?"

"You know I can't do that."

"Yes, you can!"

"Enough!" Firestar growled harshly, making Leafpaw shrink against the ground. The ginger tom's pelt was bristling, and his eyes burned with unspoken rage; Sandstorm moved to his side to calm him, leaving Leafpaw to sit under her father's cold and angered gaze all by herself.

Her paws went numb as Firestar growled, "We can't wait any longer, Leafpaw. They've come a long way from the sun-drown place and back, yes; but we've lost too great of lives to wait any longer for them to return to us."

Leafpaw stared at her father, stunned. She opened her mouth to say something, but when she saw Sandstorm shake her head from Firestar's side, the brown tabby apprentice shut her jaws and allowed him to go on.

"The leaders of the other Clans have decided," Firestar meowed, the fire beginning to die in his eyes and be replaced with exhaustion. He wearily rose to his paws and leaned against Sandstorm for a heartbeat, as if he hadn't any more strength to hold himself up. "and they have given their motives to move on with the journey." The ThunderClan leader turned and began to head up the slope, but not before looking back at his daughter and murmuring, "ThunderClan must do the same; if we don't, we risk losing even more lives than what we already have."

* * *

"Do we have enough dock?"

"We do."

"Enough cobwebs?"

"More than enough."

"Enough burdock root? Tansy? Ragwort leaves?"

"Again – more than enough."

"Enough of _everything else_?" the brown tabby apprentice spun on her paws and immediately started working on rechecking the large assortment of leaf bundles she had tediously prepared all morning.

"Great StarClan, Leafpaw," Cinderpelt purred in amusement and rested her tail on Leafpaw's shoulder. "I certainly hope you're just as tedious and meticulous when you have your own apprentice!"

"I just want to make sure we have everything." _StarClan knows that we're bound to run into a bunch of injuries with kits running about, as well as cats just making stupid mistakes._

"We do, little one; I promise." Cinderpelt pressed her nose to Leafpaw's ear, easing her worries. "Should we ever run out, I'm sure the other Clans have enough of their own and wouldn't haste to let us use it."

Leafpaw sighed, exhaustion weighing on her bones and eyes. After a long night of preparing all of the herbs and making sure that every cat knew to _not_ mess with them at all, the medicine cat apprentice wished she could just curl in a ball and sleep for however long. She forced the urge away, knowing that her duty as a medicine cat to her Clan came before anything else; including sleeping.

"Go get yourself something to eat," Cinderpelt urged, nudging Leafpaw towards the entrance. "Spend time with your fellow apprentices; your family, even! Go and have _fun_ , Leafpaw. Do something other than sitting in this den rechecking the herbs twenty times." There was a _mrrow_ of amusement in that last sentence as Leafpaw slipped out into the clearing, her mentor's words fading to nothing as she got farther and farther away.

The clearing was a mess; ThunderClan was obviously eager to get on with the journey, much to Leafpaw's disappointment. Her heart sank; despair and hurt wormed its way into her lungs, tightening them and making her want to cry out. As she settled on the grass a few tail-lengths away from the fresh-kill pile, the contrasting pelts of her mother and father seemed to materialize before her drooping eyes.

Firestar briskly nodded to her, as if he were proud to see her eating something, a cloudy look to his green eyes. He said nothing to Leafpaw as he turned and padded away, his tail disappearing into the medicine den.

"Finish your meal quickly, Leafpaw," Sandstorm mewed gently, brushing her tail across Leafpaw's ears, "we're leaving soon."

Leafpaw blocked out her mother's words as Firestar reappeared, Cinderpelt following him with four leaf bundles in her jaws. "ThunderClan!" he called, his voice ringing out along the treeline, "This is our last night here; it has been our home for some time, but it is no longer. We find a new home now – wherever our great ancestors decide to place us, it will be a promising one; not one ripped a part by Twolegs and their Monsters!"

ThunderClan roared in response, cries of joy ringing out amongst all of the cats. Leafpaw heard Sandstorm purr in approval as Firestar continued: "All of the apprentices are to help Cinderpelt and Leafpaw carry their herb bundles; if one of you gets too tired, a warrior will take up your place until you feel well enough to take it again. If one of you are injured, a warrior will take the place of you until either Leafpaw or Cinderpelt deem you well enough to do anything – _anything._ We will help one another with tasks; that's what we do – that is what ThunderClan does!"

Once again, cries of pride rose up among the ThunderClan cats. Firestar waved his tail in request for silence, and immediately the Clan died down to a dull murmur. "No more shall we fear for our lives," Firestar meowed proudly, staring at each of his warriors. His eyes met Leafpaw's, and for a moment a flicker of regret burned within them, but it was replaced so quickly with relief that Leafpaw swore she imagined it. "because tonight, we leave this place behind for a brighter future!"

Leafpaw broke away from Sandstorm to go fetch her bundles; ones of tansy, cobwebs, chamomile, and poppy seeds. As Firestar headed out of their temporary camp, Leafpaw raced to his side, brushing her pelt against his. The ginger leader looked down at his daughter with a small flicker of confusion, but it was shoved aside by a flood of affection and gratitude. Comfort washed over Leafpaw as Firestar pressed his nose to her ear and gave her a lick between the ears, mewing, "They'll find us, Leafpaw... I know they will."

* * *

It didn't take them long to reach the other Clans at the hollow. As soon as Firestar and the rest of ThunderClan emerged from the clifftop just above the gathering place, the other three leaders approached with their deputies at their sides. Firestar, tension spiking his fur, prepared himself with Graystripe at his side. Leafpaw felt her body tense as she watched them all nod briskly at one another, hositility burning in the eyes of the WindClan deputy and ShadowClan leader.

"You've made your decision, then?" grumbled the ShadowClan leader, Blackstar. Leafpaw had never taken a liking to him or his medicine cats; she didn't particularly care for WindClan's, either, but she wouldn't voice any of that out loud.

She watched as Firestar nodded and faintly heard his reply. "ThunderClan will travel with you or behind you; take your pick."

"Behind." Blackstar snarled incredulously, causing Firestar to growl lowly. "It took you this long to decide to come along; you should be _days_ behind." Growls echoed behind and beside Leafpaw as the mass of ThunderClan cats all narrowed their eyes at the snickering ShadowClan cats that resided just across the hollow.

"I say they come with." Mistyfoot meowed coolly, resting her blue eyes on Blackstar angrily. Leafpaw knew that the RiverClan deputy and her father had been very close friends back before she was born; their friendship certainly wasn't wavering now. Beside her, Leopardstar snorted in amusement yet nodded in agreement with her deputy.

"I agree with Blackstar," Mudclaw growled, lashing his tail. "They should be days behind." He narrowed his amber eyes on Firestar pointedly, as if daring the fire-pelted leader to defy him.

Tallstar, however, waved his deputy off with a hiss. "They come with us; WindClan will see to it that they travel alongside us as one Clan." Leafpaw saw her father nod in appreciation to the older, weary leader, who wobbled on his paws.

"Then it's settled," Firestar meowed, gratitude in his gaze as he looked to Mistyfoot, Leopardstar, and Tallstar, "ThunderClan travels with you."

* * *

 **Longest chapter to date! Let's hope this continues!**

 **Let me know if I messed up on some of the names; I don't think Mudclaw's name is correct, but I took a wild guess and went with it. :P**

 **Until next time!**

 **–Swift**


End file.
